


The Third & The History of Tank

by Mirrajay



Category: Dragon Ball
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-12
Updated: 2015-03-22
Packaged: 2018-03-17 11:54:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3528458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mirrajay/pseuds/Mirrajay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tank Briefs is hopping across time to seek revenge for her brother's death. Cell is on the hunt and Android 22 is nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, in the future, the android trio is merciless, even Goku and the others dead in Otherworld are trying to help, but for Tank and Trunks life goes on… Mirai sister OC centric, AU Cell saga</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Preface  
> This is two stories in one: (1) Tank charging after cell in the main timeline and (2) her life growing up under siege of the androids. As much as I love revealing things in the story (I had no plans for a preface while writing...) some early explanations would be helpful.  
>   
> Tank Briefs (as in 'tank' top) is Bulma's second child, born soon after the activation of Androids 17, 18 and 22. She originates from the third canon timeline also known as Cell's timeline. The first timeline being the main one we're all familiar with, the second being future Trunk's time and the third being Cell and Tank's. Just a refresher since this timeline was only ever seen in flashback during the series, Tank's time is similar to Trunks' in the fate of Goku and others against the androids. Her existence and inevitable interference in the past shifted events a bit. One being that another cyborg exists, known as Android 22.  
> Unlike her mother and brother, she has dark hair and dark eyes, which makes her curious about the father she has never met. She feels uneasy about her mixed heritage, especially being the only female demi-saiyan. She's passionate, temperamental, intelligent about sciences like her mother and impatient like her father. She is closest to Trunks since he understands their plight and heavy responsibility. They slow drift apart as they age, partially due to their opposing views on how to deal with the androids and past.  
> Please note that I am not trying to stick close to canon. There are plenty of OC/daughter centric stories that are almost canon and part of my lack of satisfaction from reading those stories prompted me to try. However I am trying to not butcher the Cell saga (my favorite in the series) so this will be a process of having Tank change the flow of the events but still have what was awesome about the saga.  
> Definitely let me know what you think!

The Third: Chapter 1

  
  
May 12th, 767 Timeline #1

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon as Androids 16, 17 and 18 traveled—occasionally off-roaded—on their excursion to the Son home.

By the clouds, high above their respective road, a stranger appeared from nowhere. Clad in a gray, tattered Capsule Corp. jumpsuit and hat, the stranger configured a handheld computer to hone on the van. Spliced wires hung off the device, sparking occasionally, but the figure remained midair, waiting for the device to identify the van's mechanical passengers. The van was nearing an inclined turn around the mouth of the mountain range when the device beeped and showed two out of three matches.

The stranger put away the computer then reached into a pocket to remove a small clear locked case. With a lock code, the case snapped open and revealing a tiny remove. With a slight drag on a side switch, the device glittered with green lighting to signal a working battery.

The person extended the device's antenna and moved a gentle palm over the large red button on the device. Eyes still fixed on the van, the stranger pressed the button with an echoing _click!_

Nothing happened.

The van continued on into the mountains, towards its destination.

The person then fell hundreds of feet but landed weightlessly on the paved road. Under the brim of a cap, she stared on at the pink van as it drove in the opposing direction. She pressed the button again, hoping the closer approximation in distance helped.

_Click!_

Nothing happened. No swerving of the van, no sudden stops, no crashing—simply, nothing.

Hoping to have picked the wrong automobile, the person checked the tiny hand-sized computer with irritated grunt. Another scan said Androids 17 and 18 were traveling in _that_ vehicle. She wondered why they weren't flying and causing destruction, but she shooed away as the larger problem involved a dysfunctional deactivation remote.

She gritted her teeth, but soothed the anger with slow breathing.  
  
_I can try taking on the two androids alone. A new remote would be unnecessary also a dozen formal introductions wouldn't be needed._

_But..._

If the computer's calculations were correct, there was an unrecognized _third_ android of unknown strength occupying the van with Androids 17 and 18.

The stranger typed on her computer and even smacked the edge of the screen. With a fussy spark, it affirmed that it did not recognize the android. She wondered her computer was malfunctioning and the android was in fact Android 22. Unfortunately…regardless of a malfunction, three against one was not smart.

 _I've made that mistake once already. Two against one had not been a good idea. Today, three against one is definitely a bad idea._ She stared at the one mismatch on the screen and murmured, "Not Android #22…then which one?"

_If I let them go now how long do I have until the hunt begins? I know the cockroach is hiding somewhere in this time. I can feel it._

She knew better than to draw attention, at least, it was not yet the right time. Encountering the bug was inevitable. Especially if the bug was stuck that timeline with her and Android 22.

 _Then again_ , she checked her watch. If the date was correct, she might need to regroup. Who was still alive? Who was dead? Was the enemy even still in hiding? The young stranger also wanted, even with a reluctant inhale of breath, to make her presence clear and nonthreatening to the Earth's forces. _Again,_ she knew better due to a prior mistake.  
  
More information was necessary, but unfortunately, that involved leaving the androids to carry on. The girl clenched her jaw, still watching as the van approached a tight corner now far ahead down the road. Despite hating the idea, she couldn’t proceed. That's why, when the van turned over the corner, she grudgingly remained in her position, allowing the van with its deadly, yet endangered occupants to disappear from sight.

She pictured her destination with intense focus and energy. She counted four energies on the compound and picked the one nonchalantly watering plants in the garden. She pressed two fingers near the brim of her cap and then disappeared.

* * *

  
  
Balancing baby Trunks on her hip, Bulma Briefs smashed buttons on her laboratory printer. "Come on—I swear! These machines were sent from hell!" Her angry tone bothered the once tranquil baby in her arms. The sensitive baby huffed, pounding his fists in the air as he cried for his mother's affection. "Oh, oh, there, there." Bulma set her camera device aside and ignored the fussy printer to calm the now fussy baby in her arms.

Bulma paused for a moment, shushing Trunks for a second. From the upstairs common room by the front door of the first floor of Capsule Corp, Bulma heard a soft familiar jingle. Sighing, of course, her phone, which she the genius was smart enough to leave in her purse upstairs and far from reach.

"Coming! Don't hang up!"

From further down the wing, the stranger slipped into the laboratory. Like expected, the blonde gardener hadn't been perturbed by the intruder.

The stranger checked the date on the computer screen. 12th of May, year 763. She checked her watch and sighed, only a couple of hours behind. Entire days were critical, but it could have been worse.  
  
She skimmed the afternoon front page, which was consumed by news of the morning attack nine miles South of South city. Majority of the high-rise buildings had been destroyed, and over 90% of the island's population had been murdered. She bit her lip; no, it was not the cockroach's nor 22's work, which meant there was still time.

Bulma would be an excellent contact, but she needed to figure out how to introduce herself without upsetting the young mother and baby...

The stranger dropped the newspaper and approached the printer. With a shaky hand, she lifted a large photograph and brought it close to her face. Suddenly, she shut her eyes and looked again, her breath becoming shallow. "Well, I'll be damned."

Something spiked the stranger's attention to the door. Abruptly, the stranger spun and saw a cold sweating Bulma, clutching her baby to her chest, mumbling into the phone.

"Another android, another one, no, didn't I just say one? I don't KNOW WHICH ONE, I never saw them, remember? Dark hair, fema—KYAHHHH!" Bulma shrieked, dropping her phone as the intruder made eye contact with her. Baby Trunks screamed against his mother, shocked by the loud noise.

The phone's screen shattered and the battery snapped off into two pieces.

The stranger sighed in exasperation, feeling a migraine coming on. Whomever Bulma was speaking with would be speeding like a missile straight for Capsule Corp. at that very second. She had no idea who, how many, how powerful, or how far away the speakers were on the other end of the conversation. The stranger wearily pressing a palm to her forehead, knowing that if she wanted to survive, she needed to calm Bulma as soon as possible.

This was the part she hated most.

"Bulma Briefs?" The stranger began.

"NOOO! HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME?! YOU'RE ONE OF GERO'S MONSTERS AREN'T YOU?!" Bulma shouted over Baby Trunks' cries.

The girl's head pounded from their ear-piercing noise, but she learned many things from Bulma's outburst. First, the Z warriors had known previously about the Gero's androids. Second, Bulma had not seen the androids. Last, Gero really did make more androids than 17, 18 and 22, which would explain the ID mismatch.

"No, moth—" The stranger bit her tongue to pause and not mess up the crucial introduction. "I'm not an android."

Bulma stopped yelling and sniffled. " _Snif_ , _snif_ , you're not?" Baby Trunks' screeches were fading to mere throaty cries. "Then who— _what_ are you?"

The stranger revealed her information carefully. "My name is Tank, and I'm...human."

Bulma tiptoed into the lab, a protective hand over the back of her son's head. "You said that...reluctantly."

"That will be explained soon. Depending on how soon the others arrive." The second statement to drifted off into a whisper, while Tank stayed alert for any impending energy.

Baby Trunks' crying soothed to whimpers as his mother tenderly patted his back. Tank looked at the baby. He rubbed his distressed face side to side, undecided about the stranger.

Bulma's brows narrowed. It had been three years since a teenage boy, whom she learned to be Trunks from the future, came to Goku to inform him about a tragic trail of events that needed to be changed. He had never said anything about a young girl named Tank. "Then, why trespass here?" Bulma stepped forward, quickly glimpsing over the exquisite laboratory.

"Again, a more satisfying reason will be explained soon, but honestly, I figured this would be a good place to start."

Both of them stared down to the photograph in Tank's hand. Bulma looked at the photo then at Tank's face. _Hmm_ , the mother thought. Tank stepped back, blushing from Bulma's investigative stare. It registered again that Trunks was still a baby and maybe Bulma wouldn't have enough information to connect the dots. Tank hadn't been born yet.

Bulma scrutinized Tank's rounded chin and pronounced cheek bones with a squint. "You seem familiar..."

She backpeddled to make space between her and Bulma. As the mother leaned forward to speculate, Tank's shoulders stiffened from discomfort.

"Where do I know you?" Bulma examined Tank from head to toe, giving Tank the urge to turn away.

"We've haven't met before."

"Hmm," Bulma hummed aloud. Finally she smiled and winked, "Alright."

Tank's tense shoulders dropped from surprise of Bulma accepting her vague answers. "Just alright?"

Bulma's trusting smile grew wider. She nodded. "Ah, yes, lots of weird things have been happening these last few years, today especially. Yep, best just to go with the flow of it until it sorts itself out." She stuck her tongue out at baby Trunks who laughed.

Tank opened her mouth to say something but was still too stunned. Maybe this was going to be easy after all.

Suddenly, instincts grabbed her attention and she lifted her chin to extend her senses. Tank counted and calculated the approaching strength. Three of them. All strong, but two of them potentially threatening.

"Huh? What is it?" Bulma asked.

Rushed steps echoed down the stairs.

"Bulma!"

"Mother!"

Tank stiffened when Krillin and young Gohan ran in, bombarding Bulma and the baby with concern, but she did a double take when adult Trunksbounded into the laboratory. He didn't even noticed Tank at first, too busy checking his mother and present counterpart for injury and distress.

Tank recognized the three men, but her strangeness to them was apparent as they turned to her and prepared defensive stances.  
  
Gohan was no older than ten years of age. If a future Trunks was visiting this timeline, then that meant that he killed Frieza.

Again, she was going to have to confirm that once they cleared up the misunderstanding. She limply stood, facing them, aware of the potential consequences of leaving her defenses open. Any moment out of defense-simply curling her fingers into a fist-could be viewed as instigation.

"Are you familiar with this one, Trunks?" Krillin motioned to his right at the taller man, his serious gaze never leaving Tank. His arm was clawed to defend, his other hand closed in a fist ready to attack with his knees slightly bent, balanced and ready to go.

 _Another_ one? Trunks’ mouth waggled. "I've never seen this android before..."

Bulma dramatically pushed Gohan and Trunks aside to kill the tension between Tank and the boys. "Oh, chill out, guys, she's not an android."

Gohan and Krillin gasped, lowering their defenses.

Gohan stuttered. "Agh—what? Bulma? How do you know that for sure?" He leaned around Bulma to see Tank again as if to look for clues as to decide if she was an android.

A tiny half-smile swept across Tank's mouth. She could never get used to watching Gohan as a little boy who was so much younger than her.

"Well, we did some talking and she told me that she was human." Bulma answered with a laugh, causing a round of sweat-dropping from Krillin and Gohan.

Krillin cocked an eyebrow and bravely proceeded forward. Trunks still hadn't so much as flinched from his position, still ready to attack.

"Hmm," Krillin speculated as he circled the girl, muscles still taut and ready to defend. The mere fact that she wasn't _attacking_ him had already won her some trust. _The animation in her eyes is a good indication_ , Krillin noted, remembering the pair's icy blue eyes.

When the androids had approached Krillin earlier, how could he forget their dull but confident statures? If anything, the girl in front of him was nervous, a far cry from the arrogant androids from before.

Her droopy, bloodshot eyes were bagged with purple circles. _The androids from before had unlimited power so if she's was an android, I doubt that she would look so tired._

Another important detail was the lack of the Red Ribbon Army symbol on her jacket. The only logo he spotted was the Capsule Corp. marking on her jacket.

 _Nice dark hair, dark violet eyes...she's pretty cute actually—_ The others watched as Krillin suddenly blushed then shook his head as if to dismiss a thought.

"Bulma, when you said dark hair, I thought you meant Android 17." Krillin laughed, which whizzed out awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head.

"But then—" Trunks began, still narrowed on Tank. "Who is she?"

Trunks' words seemed to float between them and Tank for a while.  
  
"My name is Tank and I'm not from this time." It still felt odd to directly say it, but Tank had said it so many times.

Especially to them.

"What?! It's not possible..." Trunks gawked, his squint gone, his wide eyes staring into Tank.

Gohan whoa-ed, remembering his disbelief when Trunks first came to their time period to warn them of the androids. Krillin clenched his jaw, his brows shaking, officially overwhelmed with news of this unexpected visitor on top of everything that was happening. Krillin peered up at Trunks' shaky, astonished stance. Even _Trunks_ didn't know about this girl. However, Krillin wasn't willing to be reckless with so much as stake.

"But—how could you two not know each other—" Krillin began but Tank interrupted him.

"I _do_ know Trunks." Tank answered, causing Gohan and Krillin to whoa again. "Trunks should know me as well."

Trunks' mouth fell open with a bead of sweat running down his temple.

"I know all of you." Tank panned from left to right, meeting eyes with each of them. "Krillin, Trunks, Bulma, Gohan..."

Baby Trunks gave a sudden wail, his tiny face glaring at her.

"And of course, baby Trunks."

"But I've never met you." Trunks uttered deeply, another bead of sweat gliding to his neck.

It was Tank's turn to groan, but in disappointment. Her focus flickered then dropped to the tiles, sadly. That confirmed it. She didn't exist in his time.

"Then...how?" Gohan trailed off. The thick tension in his body was just beginning to lessen, yet Gohan was still unsure. They all were.

Tank bit her lip. She knew of a single sure way to convince them—everyone—that she was who she said. One transformation would suffice. But, she still didn't want to give her position away to her enemies.

The eagerness four faces in front of her faded into reluctance and worn. Tank didn't need to be told the details of the day to understand the Z warriors' devastation. Introductions were the hardest part, especially as the bearer of bad news.  
  
However, Tank was not going to deliver such despairing news in Bulma's laboratory. She still needed to gain their trust. "Please," everyone lifted their sullen faces due to the supple tone in her voice. "I need to know where you found this." She displayed the photograph, reaching out with two hands, pointing to a large structure covered caked in moss.

Bulma checked the baby in her arms, grinning to see that Trunks had fallen asleep. Tank peeked on the little boy and stifled a giggle when she heard his soft snores. "If you promise not to wake the youngster, you can fly with me."

"But...mother," Trunks grunted. "How do you know you can trust her? Especially with taking her to the time machine?" His head then snapped to Tank's direction in obvious suspicion.

"Hmm," Bulma hummed, thinking three years into the past. "The same reason we all trusted you when you came to warn us about the androids. Just a hunch. And so far it hasn't back-fired."

Trunks' fists shook at his sides. "If you're taking her to see the time machine then I'm coming too."

During the hushed exchange, Tank glanced for a writing utensil. She scribbled something on the back of the time-machine photo. She left the photo by the keyboard.

When she felt Trunks' pressing glare, Tank wrapped her jacket around her for the sake of doing something with her hands. Even with the computer fans blowing a constantly thick flow of air in the laboratory, it was hardly cold.

They hadn't yet realized how grave and imperative the situation and their lack of rush made her restless. However, even if she told them everything, why would they believe her? Maybe, by a lucky twist of fate, Tank had beat the cockroach with time, and she could spare them the burden of knowing.

"Gohan, Krillin?" Trunks asked.

Each made noises of agreement in their throats and nodded to Trunks and each other.

The tension between Tank and the three thickened again. Bulma left the lab to prepare the transport, mumbling "the more, the merrier."

"Oh Tank?" Bulma backpeddled, leaning back by the door. "If you follow me, I can direct you towards a shower and fresh clothes. We should be..." Bulma glanced over the girl "about the same size."

Tank opened her mouth to protest, but even stepping forward reminded her how of dingy her clothes felt against her skin.

Being constantly on the move required certain sacrifices. She saw many faces of mockery and disapproval from strangers when they saw her unclean and sometimes torn, bloody clothes.

Ducking her head as she slide past Gohan, Krillin, and Trunks, Tank followed Bulma upstairs, muttering something like, "needing only a few minutes."

When the girl was gone, Trunks trudged over to the keyboard and snatched up the photograph. He read in clear black ink: _Be Strong._

Bulma showed Tank the shower area and left a comfortable change of clothes. "Gym clothes I haven't worn yet," Bulma said as she folded the articles of clothes in a drawer next to the shower with baby Trunks' sleeping head on the neap on her neck.

"I trust you know how to use _this_ shower?" Bulma winked.

Tank pretended she hadn't heard the wit in Bulma's statement. "I'll figure it out."

Bulma's smile didn't waver as she took another opportunity to survey Tank's features. Tank ignored Bulma while smoothing out her dark hair by the reflection of a long mirror.

"Take your time, I still have to get this little guy into his sleeper, change my cellphone, and prepare the plane. That should buy you at least twenty minutes."

"Sorry...I mean, thank you...Bulma." Tank mumbled, earning a soft laugh from Bulma.

"Enjoy your shower, kiddo." With that, Bulma shut the door with her. Tank waited until Bulma's footsteps were no longer audible before she let down her hair. Her straight hair kinked down her shoulders from being wrapped in a hair clip for so long. She ran her hands through her oily roots, catching loose hairs between her fingers.

As she relaxed, Tank felt a familiar crushing pain in her chest then an expected wave of chills reverberated through her body until she yawned.  
  
The plane ride would be lengthy enough for her get some sleep. Rubbing the purple circles under her eyes, the hours she slept during time travel weren’t enough. Back home, she had been notorious for having a baby-face, and now she hardly looked babyish with awfully reddened eyes and tired skin. Tank shrugged; if she were more like her mother when she was her age, maybe she would have cared more about her features.

Steam fogged the tiny shower room, the overwhelming conclusion of showering in Capsule Corp. and the bewildering introductions weighed on her nerves.

Tank shrugged off her clothes, truly seeing for the first time how they were worn and dirty. She munched up her nose at the unpleasant smell.

She stepped under the spray of warm water and with sleepy sigh, she imagined her worries being washed away. Regardless of the dire situation, Tank gratefully accepted the time she had to relax for the first time in what seemed like forever.

* * *

  
  
A pestering, repetitive noise beeped, yanking Tank back into reality. Her chin slammed against her clavicle, forcing her eyes open even as her body ached, declaring that it did NOT want to be awakened. Groaning, she pressed a side button on her watch, silencing her alarm. The drone of the plane's engines reminded Tank of where she sat.

She crossed her legs, straightening her lazy position, hearing the ruffle of her new deep blue cargo pants. After trying them on, a couple of test-kicks and knee-thrusts made Tank guess that the pants would last a good while.

Peering up, she met Trunks' heeding watch. Even though he sat on the opposing side with Krillin and Gohan, his sharp gaze fixed on her.  
  
Tank yawned and stretched her arms, which announced to Gohan and Krillin that she was awake.

Judging by the apprehensive expression on Trunks' face, Tank figured that he _had_ been watching her the whole time.

 _You're wasting your energy and time, Trunks_ , Tank wanted to say. _I would never harm Bulma._

"You're awake?" Gohan stated and asked at the same time. "You were out like a light for about an hour."

Tank rubbed her eyes, which were teary from yawning. Her alarm had been set for an hour and fifteen minutes to be precise. But it felt like she had only been asleep for five minutes.

Krillin gazed out the forest out the window. "Bulma said we were getting close."

Tank glanced out the window for the first time since takeoff; luscious greenery, mountains, and forest stretched out into the distance, worlds away from the sprawling megalopolis of West Capitol.

Bulma announced to prepare for descent.

Tank scanned the deep forest as the ground moved closer and closer, not seeing the machine _anywhere_. "You don't know the exact location—we're gonna have to look for it."

"I guess," Gohan replied. "The photo didn't give many clues."

Searching meant flying. Flying meant energy. Energy could be detected in such a short distance. If the machine was near, then the cockroach couldn't be too far away... “Keep your energies suppressed.”  
  
“Um what for?”  
  
“Just as a precaution.”  
  
The three sought reassurance from each other silently before agreeing…for the time being.

It wasn't long, thankfully, before Gohan declared his finding the machine. Gohan returned to the plane to carry Bulma over meanwhile Krillin, Tank, and Trunks landed in front of the massive, but impressive machine.

Tank's heart sank, her feet as heavy as logs as she stared in a daze at the damage.

The dome had been shattered and charred as if burned. The once yellow casing was covered with a heavy coating of dark green moss. Half of the power sources and engines dangled and metallic pieces lay scattered in the grass like confetti.

Tank stood frozen for a moment while the others approached the machine in awe. So much had gone into building that time machine and to perceive it in such a diminished state pained her insides. _Even with intensive repairs, the machine may never travel through the fourth dimension again._

Gohan hovered down, carrying Bulma, and set her down. She tipped the edge of her hat up to absorb the sight of the machine; acknowledging how the photo hadn't justified the damage.

Trunks pressed the stopper on a capsule and tossed it near the standing machine. His time machine, safe and clean, appeared from the smoke. The comparison between the two machines was like night and day. Trunks' machine was significantly smaller and its casing shined a brilliant yellow.

Hands on hips, Bulma stepped closer to further examine the mysterious machine. "Wow! That machine can't be yours then, Trunks. Tank?"

Tank hadn't realized she hadn't been paying attention when she flinched with a start.

Trunks picked a particular leg of the machine and scrapped the moss. "This was written before I left." Gohan, Krillin, and Bulma circled around the leg, all reading the inscription in black marker: _Hope!_

"But wait..." Trunks scrapped off more moss and drew in a sharp take of breath. Just under his mother's inscription was another, in the same exact hand writing from the printed image: _Be Strong._

Tank bit her lip as her knees nearly crumbled. For her own sake, she weeded through Gohan and Bulma to touch the stand and inscription. _It's really here, it's been so long. The last time I touched this...if only._ "I wrote this before the first time I traveled into the past."

Trunks glanced at his own time machine. There was only _Hope!_ "But that's not on my time machine."

"That's because this is not your machine, but _ours_. From my timeline." Tank touched her cheek, regardless of the dirt and moss, against the stand and inscriptions.

Everyone had stepped back to see the machines with inscriptions as a whole. Gohan tilted his head. "If this is your time machine, then why did you need us to help you find it?"

Tank reached into her jacket breast pocket and handled a capsule holder. Picking a specific capsule, and held it in her hand for show. " _This_ is my time machine. The one I came here with." She pressed the stopper and threw it to an open space. A smaller machine compared to the older one appeared through the smoke with the distinctive words 'DEMO' plastered on the side. Gohan and Krillin quickly circled around the smaller machine but immediately stopped when they noticed the damage. There was a broken stand, a crushed compartment and other things that looked quite important to Krillin and Gohan.

Trunks gazed in awe at the smaller machine. The covering was a slightly duller yellow than the other two machines, yet Trunks thought the machine appeared to be younger than his and the other one. _Speaking of older versus younger,_ Trunks pondered as he looked over to Tank again. She claimed to be from the future but from where in the future? If she insisted that the mysterious time machine is also hers than she must have come from a future even further in time than his timeline. _Still,_ Trunks concluded, _that doesn't answer how far she has traveled and who the hell she is._

Krillin crossed his arms in thought at the display of time machines. "Then why is this machine here?"

Tank pressed the panel button on her newer machine and replaced the capsule into the holder. Her expression darkened with profound sorrow and guilt. Krillin and Gohan lowered their heads in respect as bitter memories were refreshed in Tank's mind. With her fingertips, Tank felt the texture of the inscription of older machine, still textured with stubborn bits of moss.

Trunks hadn't forgotten his doubts about the girl, but part of him believed her sincerity as she stared longingly at the inscriptions.

The moment presented a justified opportunity to share a bit of her history, yet Tank, trying to compress the crushing pain in her chest and gut, didn't trust that she could compose herself long enough to share the story.

With a heavy gulp, Tank thought to save the question for another time. However, as her fingers graced along _Be Strong,_ she remembered her reasons for writing that on the time machine. Suddenly, her hand clenched into a tight fist. "This machine was stolen."

There was a sharp intake of breath from behind, but Tank hovered to the dome release, wishing for that the hydraulic presses contained some fuel to open the cockpit. The natural flow of questions followed from _how?_ to _who?_ She vaguely heard Krillin mumble his question but ignored it.

" _What_ would be the better question than who." Tank muttered, which drew confused gasp from the bald man.

Trunks and Gohan flew to her side as the machine struggled to open the cockpit. Then with one last effort, the glass-like cover levered up. Trunks scrambled into the cockpit, peering through the massive hole in the dome.

Circling around him, Trunks wondered if his machine were smaller. "Two seats? Which means you weren't alone when you went to the past...?"

Tank and Gohan weren't listening as both pairs of eyes were fixed on two bright purple spiky pieces. Trunks gingerly lifted the two pieces.

"What is it? It looks like a coconut shell." Gohan leaned over, blinking at the odd halves. He hadn't seen the expression of surprise face on the girl next to him. "You know what it is, Tank?"

Tank shook her head. "I've never seen those before."

"Hey! Let us see!" Bulma held up her hands and Gohan passed the spiky shells to Bulma and Krillin.

Bulma held her piece over her head to inspect the inside while Krillin poked the spikes. Bulma took Krillin's piece and pushed them together. "A small center, matching size, protective casing...yep, this is an egg shell. I'm sure of it!"

Krillin’s mouth twisted. "What sort of thing would come out of _that?_ "

Gohan turned back to the machine, thinking of the size of the egg, but the even larger hole in the dome.  
  
Tank landed on the ground. "Bulma, can you determine how long ago that egg hatched?"

"Hmm," Bulma opened the egg shell again to search for any clues of age. "Not visually, no, but if I brought it back to the lab, I could do an oxidization test."

Tank sighed, but then remembered that the age of the shell might not be a good indication after all. There was only one shell in the machine, which could have meant that there had only been one devolution back to egg-form. Unless the other egg shells had been lost...

"Trunks!" Tank twisted back to Gohan and Trunks who were still examining the cockpit for clues. "Check the most recent date of origin." While the others were absorbed in sorting out her inquiry, no one noticed Tank twisting back, suddenly distracted by something in the distance.

Trunks sat in the navigator's chair and powered the computers. "The battery gauge is almost zero. Wha-?"

Gohan rushed to Trunks' side in the other seat. "What is it, Trunks?"

"18th of May, year 766. But that's not..." Trunks pointed to the oldest date.

Gohan read, but didn't know the significance. "Trunks..." He tapped the older Saiyan's shoulder.

"What does it say, Trunks?!" Krillin shouted from the ground, resisting the urge to fly up to see for himself.

Bulma peeked up, hand over her hat to block the glare of the afternoon sun. "What's going on?!"

"Age 787... That's two years ahead of my time. Tank, can you explain this?" Trunks stood on the edge of the cockpit, just in time to see Tank sprinting towards the cover of the trees far ahead. "She's running!" He exclaimed, causing a rushed turn of heads toward Tank. In anger, his power flared in a blue aura around him, damning himself for nearly trusting her.

"What the—hey!" Bulma yelled as the three men around her bolted from their positions in flying pursuit of Tank. "Wait for me! Agh! Not everybody can fly you know!" The young mother groaned then rushed after them.

Tank randomly stopped, covered by the brush. Trunks was first after her; he so nearly tackled her but shouts from Gohan and Krillin halted Trunks.

"Agh, what is it?!"

"DISgusting!"

In front of them, lay a shell that looked like it belonged to a gargantuan cicada.

Tank balled her hands into fists, grounding her teeth, only realizing the presence of the others as they individually walked into her view. Hasty footsteps approached from behind then an ear-drum piercing scream.

"KYAAAHHH!" Bulma hid behind Trunks, but peeked over his shoulder. "What is that thing?! Ewww, it reeks!"

Gohan and Krillin inched around the bug-like mass.

"Is it...dead?" Krillin squeezed his nose as he proceed closer but slowly to scrutinize the shell.

Gohan tested the weight of the thing by pushing the slimy skin apart to determine the inside. There was nothing inside, no organs, no exoskeleton, just slime. "It's not dead, just skin."

Bulma inhaled with relief and slowly revolved around the skin, but still refused to touch it. "Just skin? I didn't know cicadas could get this big..."

"I don't think this is a cicada, Bulma." Krillin wiped the sweat from his forehead, noting how the beast's shell was twice his size.

Gohan sat to see the imprinted face of the shell. The round shapes that Gohan thought to be eyes were larger than his outstretched hand. A long vertical mouth touched the ground next to Gohan's feet. "There aren't any cicadas like this."

Finally Tank ripped the opening of the skin further apart and dipped an arm inside. She held her arm up to the sun, dripping with purple slime. She rubbed the slime between her fingers and palm; it was a gooey mixture of casing moisture and blood. Her cringing doubled into a grimace.

The slime was slick, watery and as a general rule of thumb, if the slime had not solidified yet, then the hatching from skin was recent. Tank had to estimate the hatching only being 8 hours, up to 24 hours prior to their finding.

Tank shuddered. If only she had known where the time machine was hiding, she could have destroyed him while in a defenseless egg-state. Then it would have been all over...

"Damn! I just missed him!" Tank cringed, flicking her arm to remove the gluey slime. Her arms pumping at her sides, her energy soaring, fueled by uncontrollable frustration. Stray pieces of her hair flowed around her ears as a blue aura surrounded her. Gohan, Krillin, and Bulma unconsciously fell back from the surprise of Tank's power.

Trunks covered his face from the explosion of dust and shielded his mother with the span of his extended arm. Tank's earlier words resounded in his mind, "I'm human." _Just human?!_ Trunks almost shouted aloud, feeling her power jump higher than any human.

Gohan squinted and dug his feet into the ground to remain standing. All previous doubts of Tank being one of Gero's androids evaporated away as Gohan could sense every ounce of her energy. Threat or not, she was not an android.

Krillin gulped as her power level soared above his maximum level. Just minutes before he had assumed that she wasn't skilled enough to fly, let alone be more powerful than him. As soon as Krillin extended his senses to determine the limit of her strength, her power diminished.

Just as soon as her energy spiked, Tank shut her eyes and inhaled deeply to reach a tranquil center and her aura extinguished like a flame. Tank ducked her head to avoid the gazes of those around.

"Excuse me...for that." She muttered, hoping to hide her embarrassment. "I was _so_ close." The volume of her words faded into a faint whisper, but with restrain on her frustration and disappointment, her voice shook as she shivered from fear. "He's in his humanoid form now. This changes everything... I really thought—"

"Tank," Bulma pat a comforting hand on Tank's shoulder. "What's going on? Can you explain what that _thing_ is?"

Tank gulped then met dire eyes with Bulma, Gohan, Krillin, and Trunks. Tank had already explained this new threat and dealt with their fearful reactions many times. She quickly glanced at all of them once more. No matter how many timelines she had hopped through, their reactions never differed.

"Let's begin by saying that as of now, Androids 17 and 18 are the lesser of your worries-"

The ground quaked beneath them when a thunderous roar erupted from the outskirts of the closest town. Bulma yelped from the noise and from Tank yanking the mother into her arms for protection. The five of them hovered into the air as the ground cracked deep rifts in the mountainous earth.

"What gives!" Bulma cried. "Seismic activity is rare here!"

Gohan, Trunks, Krillin and Tank fixed their attention to the edge of the town, all immediately covering their eyes as a bright yellow blast engulfed their sight. Another explosion and the crushing of the town's tallest building.

"Androids?!" Trunks shouted to his comrades through the explosion, peering through the protection of his arms.

Krillin remembered Androids 17 and 18 and their goal of finding Goku. "Doesn't make sense-there's no way they found Goku yet-"

Another row of buildings crumbled into rubbish as a thick cloud of dust blew in all directions. Gohan gritted his teeth before exclaiming, "It could only be them, right?"

"No, it's something else."

From being hugged tightly, Bulma could feel Tank's quivers, which only caused Bulma to squeeze even tighter to suppress her own bout of trembling. Krillin, Trunks and Gohan circled around and caught Tank's narrowed eyes clenched jaw-an expression crudely contorted with anger and fear.  
  
Tank shut her eyes to mentally hone in on the city's edge. "I already told you, it's not Androids 17 and 18 you should be worried about at the moment." She found a focal point and shrugged her shoulders to relax her muscles. "Take Bulma home, I'll handle this myself."

Krillin recognized how she placed two fingers to her forehead in concentration and in the time it took him to react by leaping forward, she disappeared. "No! Wai—agh!" His heels dug into the grass where Tank previously stood.


	2. Learning to Fly in Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> History of Tank, Chapter 1  
> In a rare moment of peace, Gohan teaches the youngsters how to fly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the first chapter of the second part of the story, which shows Tank's childhood. This chapter is lighthearted but it's about a four year old in a rare moment of peace. I think it shows a bit about Tank as a person and her interaction with her brother Trunks and her soon-to-be mentor, Gohan. One of the sweeter chapters, before things become serious for Bulma's kids.
> 
> Hope the layout isn't confusing...but definitely tell me what you think of this chapter. A reminder, Tank's timeline is ravaged by the androids, like future Trunks' time, but is not his timeline...
> 
> Also I'm making a thorough chart of the timelines to clear up any possible confusion, but for now...  
> 1) Main time  
> 2) Future Trunks  
> 3) Tank & Cell

The Third & The History of Tank

Chapter 2

* * *

  
  
The History of Tank: Chapter 1

April 14th, 772, Timeline #3

"I told you! I don't care if I ever get my feet off the ground!" Tank, a pint-sized 4 1/4 year old, placed both of her hands on her hips and marched away with her nose in the air. Behind her Trunks and Gohan, two and eleven years her senior, laughed while their mothers stood off from a distance, smiling at their rare moment of peace.

"You know, you should probably stop them, Bulma." Chi-Chi mumbled, wiping a wet plate with a cloth.

Bulma leaned in, used to the silence except for the occasional noise of dish washing. "Hmm?"

Chi-Chi peered away from the sink to reminisce. "I remember then, the worst day of my life was when that boy learned how to fly. I could never get him to stay put and focus on his studies." Chi-Chi said with a smile, yet Bulma emphasized with the perpetual sadness of their time.

_Before all this_ , Chi-Chi thought, getting him to study was the most important thing. _How have things changed,_ Chi-Chi sighed.

"You'll get the hang of it, Babyface." Gohan winked, containing his laughter when the little girl turned to him with a round-faced death glare.

"Quit calling me that!" Tanks huffed and pouted. "I'm _not_ a baby."

The teenager stretched with a relaxed sigh as he stood. "You ready to try again, lil' bro?"

"Yep! Sure!" Trunks jumped to his feet and balled his hands into fists with his elbows at his sides. His smiled disappeared and his cheeriness muted. Gohan watched while Tank bit her bottom lip curiously and with jealousy. _He will fly, if only to make Gohan proud._

The grass waved as if by wind and Trunks' hair flared around his face, then faster as the intensity of his energy grew.

"Remember, push the energy up!" Gohan ordered over the rush of energy, his smile growing.

Trunks shut his eyes then exhaled; his feet slowly lifted from the ground. He opened his eyes and rose higher and higher. Trunks scrambled about awkwardly as if to find something to hold on to, however he laughed as he inched over the grass in the air.

"That's fantastic Trunks!" Gohan crossed his arms, proudly.

Bulma cringed as she saw her son go airborne. "Don't go too high, Trunks! Don't hurt yourself!"

Trunks spun unevenly, like a puppet on string, to face his mother. "Don't worry mom! I've got the hang out it!" He exclaimed too confidently before he lost concentration then fell several feet onto his butt. Bulma and Chi-Chi left the dishes and ran from the house, while Gohan, closer to Trunks reached him first.

Gohan lifted him so that Trunks sat up. Trunks flicked away his hot tears. Tank nudged forward to start running, but paused when she saw Trunks' grin. Bulma rushed to her knees and hugged her son.

"Trunks! You alright?!"

Trunks laughed for a moment, still too excited to use words, his arms pumping at his side. "Did you see me mom?! I flew! I flew!"

Bulma sighed with relief tightened her embrace around Trunks. "Thank Kami you didn't crack your skull open, you moron."

Trunks blushed due to his mother's affection. "Mom—you don't—please let me g—hey Tank!"

Tank placed her weight back on her heels and relaxed. Her brother was alright, of course. She had seen him survive higher falls onto rockier ground without so much as a scratch. "What, Trunks?"

"You should try it again! Falling hurts, but it's worth it! What do you say?"

With her last outburst, Tank thought she had made it crystal clear that she was not going to attempt to fly again. Facing four eager faces, how could she refuse without letting them down? Especially that of her brother. If he learned to fly and not her, she'd definitely be a baby. And she couldn't let Trunks down.  
  
_I'm not a baby._

Seeing her brother's unwavering smile, her frown curved up. Tank lifted up her fists, just as Trunks did. "I'll do it. I'll try again. Mmhmm." She affirmed with a nod to Trunks and Gohan. _See? I'm not a baby._

Tank breathed out deeply, relaxing her muscles even while her heart beat accelerated with anticipation. She focused to the center of her body and released invisible spurts of her energy, Gohan and Trunks could sense it before the grass flowed around Tank. Gohan's prior words echoed in her head: _push up the energy, let it hold you!_ Tank did her best to fix the energy below her in order to push her body in the air. She grunted softly as she felt her feet grow limp, floating from the ground.

Her muscles tensed and Tank could feel the ground coming closer and closer. Cooperating with her body _while_ trying to focus on flight suddenly seemed impossible.

Gohan's expression hardened. "Tank, you have to relax. Trust your energy and trust your body to know what to do."

Tank heard Gohan's guiding words, but the idea of relaxing and not concentrating didn't seem straightforward. _How am I supposed to relax and concentrate?_ Desperate to stay in the air, Tank pushed her energy down harder, but it refused to hold her. At last, Tank gasped with exhaustion and she fell to her knees and palms.

Frustrated and disappointed, hot tears streamed down Tank's cheeks. Why did it come so easy to Trunks but not her? When she heard the hurried footsteps of Gohan and Trunks, Tank quickly wiped her tears with her sleeve. It was no use as when she lifted her head, Trunks saw her puffy eyes.

He didn't need to ask if she was alright. The anger that glittered in her eyes said she was fuming. Frustrated and hard on herself but even more determined to succeed at flying. Originally, Trunks' expression matched Gohan's in concern, however, Trunks replaced his worry with assurance. Tank was his sister after all, she could take a short little fall like that and get right back up.

"Don't worry, Tank, you'll get it soon enough. We can practice together." Trunks offered, drawing back his hand, knowing that Tank could stand for herself.

Gohan thought to offer the best encouraging advice then responded to Trunks. "I think what Tank needs right now is to learn how to control her energy."

Tank regained her stance with a sour grunt.

Trunks nervously turned to Gohan. "Are you sure that's what you mean, Gohan?"

"Well, little bro, you need to learn to crawl before you can walk right?"

Trunks cringed. Gohan made a comparison to babies and Tank. "No, she definitely knows how to control—

Tank cried bitterly, her fists shaking at her sides. "I can crawl, walk and _run_ if you DIDN'T KNOW ALREADY."

Gohan held up his hands in surrender and slowly stepped back. "We know Tank, we just think that you might need some practice controlling your energy before trying to fly again."

Trunks cocked an eyebrow. "We?"

"We?" Tank exclaimed causing them both to quiver. "Then I'll show you two!" She loosened her fingers, gathered small bits of energy in her palm, and then threw balls of ki at both of them. Both Trunks and Gohan leaped backwards, either dodging her blasts or deflecting them. She ran after them until both Gohan and Trunks flew into the air.

"That's progress since the last time I saw you all. When did she learn how to use ki blasts?" Gohan asked Trunks, waving around Tank's continuous blasts.

"Since I played keep-away with one of her toys. I was stunned, but she managed to destroy the toy I was holding. But she got even more upset." Trunks slashed through one of her blasts with his arm.

Tank ran towards their floating shadows and jumped into the air. Trying to focus her energy to push her up, Tank fell back to her feet and tried again.

"Can she do it?" Gohan wondered.

She grunted and gave herself a jump start into the air. She floated for a second then tumbled back to the ground. She caught eyes with Trunks, her determination blazing even from the distance.

Tank stepped back, then charged. She jumped then flashed her palms against the rocks, sending a ki blast to push her up into the air. But before she could reach Trunks or Gohan, Tank was stopped by a strong tug at her ankle.

"What the—mom!" Tank turned back and came face to face with an unamused Bulma.

"Enough for today, come help me set the table. You could also use a bath." Bulma uttered dryly, dragging her daughter back into the house.

"But M _O_ M! I almost had it!" Tank whined, still floating in the air, even though Bulma held her down like a balloon on a string.

"Well, then you'll almost have it tomorrow, won't you?!" Bulma retorted.

Tank sighed, watching as Gohan and Trunks slowly landed back on the ground in the distance, making cheeky peace signs at her. She stuck her tongue out at them. "That was a strong pull mother. Where did ya learn that?"

Bulma smirked. And people always thought that her children entirely got their strength, whether it be physical or mental, from their father.

"See you, Babyface!" Gohan shouted daringly then finally bursting into laughter.

Trunks covered his mouth with his palm, hoping that Tank wouldn't see him laugh so she wouldn't hold a grudge.

"Quit it! I'm not a baby!" She shook her fist and pouted.

When Bulma dragged Tank through the frame of the door, she set her daughter on her feet. "Remember what we talked about young lady?"

Tank inhaled a deep, calming breath. "Yes, mother." She shut her eyes and counted. _No need to be angry or too sensitive. It was just a joke. Watch your temper._ She dropped her shoulders. Her mind cleared and the emotion was gone.

Bulma's expression softened when the innocent glint return in Tank's eyes. "There you go, kiddo." She playfully ruffled the girl's wild hair, which drew a smile from Tank. _There you go kid, I don't ever want you to stop smiling._  
  


* * *

Tank pressed the soft towel against her soaked hair. She had already changed into her clean clothes when her mother walked in carrying the trusty hair brush that could survive brushing wild saiyan hair. Sitting behind Tank, facing the mirror, Bulma hummed to herself as she brushed her daughter's hair. "See?" She chimed, very pleased. "Doesn't that feel better?"

Tank groaned as Bulma accidentally pulled her hair, but forced a strained smile.

Bulma ran her fingers through her daughter's soft hair. _Hmm_ , thought Bulma seeing her hands draped with Tank's thick tresses. _Black hair, must have gotten it from her father's side_. Bulma stopped to stare at Tank's reflection in the mirror as she glanced into her lap, picking at her fingernails. Tank's soft violet irises reflected clearly in the glass. _Where did those come from?_ Bulma thought of her ancestors, not picturing a violet-eyed relative in her memory.

Others said that Tank facially took from Bulma, while Trunks stole more from his father. Yet Bulma considered that appearances aside, Tank due to her hotheadedness and sensitive pride might have turned out to be more like Vegeta than Trunks.

_Vegeta..._

It still paralyzed Bulma even after several years later. Her heart always skipped a beat whenever she remembered the past. Even if her son and daughter grew up to be just like their father in every manner, they would never know it. How cruel was that—

"Mom?"

Bulma dropped the brush on the wooden floor in the overly silent room. Bulma saw her daughter's serious expression as if Tank knew that her mother was thinking about her. That piercing face without fail always made Bulma as it reminded her of Vegeta. Even on her child's face, Vegeta's trademark radiated. That mesmerizing expression rooted deep in the blood because Tank couldn't possibly remember her father. _It's only a matter of time before Trunks uses the same face on me._

Bulma saw her own pale face in the mirror. It could have been aging, but the last seven years worth of wrinkles made Bulma look twice her age. "Yes, Tank?"

Tank's didn't need to be a mind-reader to judge by her mother's somber face that she was thinking about the past. "Auntie Chi-Chi called. I think supper is ready."

Bulma set a loose strand of hair to her ear and smiled at her daughter. "Best not keep them waiting then." She leaned forward to Tank's level and winked. Finally the child's serious face faded. Bulma ruffled the young girl's hair, drawing the usual annoyed whine from Tank that always made Bulma chuckle.

"Nah, Mom! You just brushed it!" Tank combed her now tangled hair with her fingers. Bulma watched as Tank intricately separated the knots in her hair, still mumbling 'ow' when her face munched up.

That teary, playful face reminded Bulma of Trunks, which brought a grateful sigh from her chest. She didn't want her children to grow up too fast and even if they lived on a wrecked Earth. She wanted her children to have adventures, like going to Namek, like she did when she was younger. She wanted them to really live without any hesitation...but not in a world like this. That guilty thought burned in her gut. If only she and the others had been strong enough to find a way to destroy the androids when they first appeared then the children wouldn't have to inherit such a terrible life and planet.

"Mom?" Tank tossed her hair towel aside, still smoothing frayed hairs by her ears. "Are we going? I'm starving."

The edges of Bulma's eyes softened and patted her daughter's head. Tank twitched at first expecting her mom to mess up her hair again. Bulma giggled. "Let's go, kid. But first, pick up your clothes. We don't want to mess up Auntie Chi-Chi's home."

Trunks and Gohan were already seated when Bulma and Tank walked out into the dining room. Chi-Chi was humming in the kitchen while the radio projected tunes from the edge of the counter. Remembering her earlier falter of flight, Tank fought back her frustration when Gohan and Trunks noticed her walk in.

"Gohan is going to take me around later, _you wanna try again Tank?_ " Trunks said cheekily.

"Humph, like I said, _I don't care if I ever get my feet off the ground!_ " She snapped while Gohan's smile grew.

Gohan hadn't known that Tank could fire dozens of blasts of ki at targets with remarkable precision. He already said to Trunks that he had zero doubt that she would properly learn to fly.

_"I've watched you and Tank grow up, and I think she just needs the right motivation. Don't worry; she'll be flying around like a bird in no time." Gohan said certainly as he watched Bulma yank Tank back into the house._

_"Attacking us wasn't the right motivation?" Trunks added, making Gohan laugh._

_"I guess not little bro."_

The radio switched to a soft piano track and Tank sat down across from Trunks, her scowl still going strong.

As much as his sister's anger amused him, Trunks decided it was time to cheer her up. He grabbed three apples from a bowl on the table. "Hmm, Tank?" He said trying to get her attention.

Her scowl wouldn't budge.

Anyway, he threw the apples into the air, and juggled them. After a few rotations, with his right hand, he sliced one of the apples into halves by force, while continuing to juggle the other two.

Tank's lips quivered, trying to grin, but she stubbornly continued to frown.

"Heeeyaa!" Trunks sliced another apple, letting it fall onto the table. The remaining apple was at its peak in the air, about to begin falling back down to earth. Trunks readied his hand, waiting, and waiting...

"Trunks! What are you doing?" Bulma projected, distracting Trunks enough to completely straighten in his chair, as he always did whenever his mother called, and forgot the falling apple, which smacked him loudly on the head.

Trunks groaned, rubbing the sore spot on his head. Tank meanwhile covered her mouth with her small hands, failing to hide her snorting laughter.

Trunks peeked open his eyes, satisfied to hear Tank's muffled laughter. At least, it had been an apple hitting him in the head this time. "Oh, I nearly forgot, weren't you supposed to be going to a birthday this weekend, Tank?"

Bulma retrieved rice bowls and gave them to Chi-Chi to serve the rice.

"When I hand you the bowls, Tank, please pass them to your brother and Gohan." Chi-Chi cupped a generous portion of rice in each bowl and gave them to Tank.

"Yes, Auntie Chi-Chi." Too concerned with spilling the rice, Tank gripped each bowl tightly with two hands and spread each serving around the table. "Not this weekend. It won't be a for a _long_ time. Can't wait to show everyone what I've learned. Oh, and the cake! Can't wait for the cake."

"Now, Tank, remember what we said? You shouldn't be telling everyone about our saiyan abilities."

Tank tilted her head. "How come?"

Gohan strained his laugh then scratched his chin, his words trailing off. "That's actually a good question..."

Chi-Chi balanced a long tray with steamed vegetables and shredded meat to the table, letting out a satisfied _whoosh_ when the metal hit the table due to weight.

Immediately, Gohan slapped his hands together and uttered, "It's chow time!" He took his rice bowl and heartily began shoving chunks of rice into his mouth. Tank and Trunks watched in awe momentarily, but then Trunks followed suit. Tank simply held her bowl in her palm, frozen in amazement at Gohan's _aim_ of tossing pieces of meat and vegetables from the tray to his mouth.

Tank hadn't even picked her own chopsticks before the boys asked for more.

"More, please?!"

The soft piano track on the radio creased into static then overwhelmed by a distant emergency broadcast. _"The Androids—are attacking Limehouse Province—once a ocean side suburb with a dockland port—is being terrorized—people are jumping from their boats to risk the water—_

The radio was shut off. Everyone inhaled a short bit of air, recovering from the skipped beat in their hearts, not realizing they all had been holding their breath. Chi-Chi lowered the antenna and set the radio away. "Not today." She said plainly then regained her seat the end of the table, picked up her bowl of rice and chopsticks and began eating as if nothing was wrong.

* * *

 

Tank sat with her legs stretched in front of her as Trunks and Gohan were hovering off in the distance. Gohan was teaching Trunks some extra flight techniques. _Humph_. _One day, I swear I'll fly faster than those two jerks._

Enjoying the soft grass beneath her fingers, she laid her back to the ground to gaze at the magnificent early evening sky. The sun was setting to the West, towards home, and the clouds above her glimmered in golds, oranges, purples, pinks, and blues. The clouds looked soft and puffy. Slowly Tank reached out her small hand as if to touch the sky.

Suddenly, Tank was lifted to her feet, whooping in slight dizziness. "What the—what are you doing, Trunks?!" Before she could comprehend what happened, Trunks locked his arms around Tank and lifted them both high into the air. Frightened in spite of her pride, Tank tightly hugged Trunks' chest, too afraid to peer over his arm to see how far they had traveled from the ground. Instead, once Trunks paused in flight, she peeked up.

"Wow..." Tank gaped at the orange and pink clouds just above her, so close to her touch.

Trunks too couldn't to tear his eyes away. "Pretty cool, huh?"

Tank inched her neck further back; the golden rays of the sun cast brightly across her face. Beside the glare of the setting sun, the luscious green mountains stretched into the distance and ocean. If she looked carefully, Tank could see tiny structures from the Eastern corner of North Capitol.

Without thinking, Tank glanced towards the ground, taking in how far up they actually were... The Son home, already small to begin with, was a mere speck from their height. A cold rush of ocean air hit her and she shivered against Trunks' chest. He munched up his face against the wind, trying to remain calm even with his sister shaking in his arms. "I'm not gonna let you fall."

Tank's feet dangled unpleasantly with her trying not to focus on the fact that nothing other than Trunks' grip was holding her up and if she slipped nothing was there to catch her.

Trunks gathered his thoughts to bring them back down to Earth long before Tank mumbled to him. "Put me down _now_ , Trunks."

She squeezed his middle that Trunks also got uncomfortable, unfocused. Within a second, his energy abruptly dispersed, sending them both dropping towards the ground. Tank still clung to Trunks, suppressing a scream, but when Trunks released another wave of energy to hold them both, the unfocused energy backfired and sent the two children falling in separate paths towards the rocky ground.

Spinning towards the ground, Tank screamed to her full lungs' capacity. She needed to save herself. Crying, she released random and unequal rushes of energy, but none were steady enough to hold her. Adrenaline pumped in her chest, blood gushed to her skull. Her thoughts evaporated and her body was as light as a feather.

Tank heard Trunks' begging yell in such fear she wasn't sure when she had last heard it from him or if she had ever heard him yell like that. Tank shut her eyes, waiting to hit the ground—

With a yelp, she hit harshly against Gohan's muscular arm. Tank opened her eyes and saw a disgruntled, but alive, Trunks wrapped in Gohan's other arm. The young boy was blushing a deep shade of crimson either from embarrassment or the rush of blood to his cheeks. Above them, Gohan panted yet with hints of perspiration.

"You two...alright?"

"Alright," the duo said wearily in unison.

"I thought you said you wouldn't let me fall!" Tank scolded Trunks, giving him an expression of when-Gohan-puts-me-down-I'm-going-to-kick-your-ass.

Trunks didn't answer his sister, scratching the back of his head, still too shocked to verbally reply.

Tank bit her bottom lip, crossing her arms tightly to resist the urge to punch her brother in the nose. "We almost _died,_ Trunks! Mom would have been mad, or worse, we would have lived _then_ mom would have killed us both...and it would have been all your fault!"

Trunks continued to scratch his head with a muted face. "Yeah, I guess she would have been mad..."

Tank pressed her cheek against Gohan's bicep to not look at her idiot brother. Gohan set them down. "Take it easy for the rest of today, guys. And remember what your mom said: don't try to fly too high when you're still learning." Gohan said, knowing full well that his statement was entirely different from Bulma's. _Don't fly too high!_ She reminded Gohan of his own mother when she first saw him take flight. But then his mother nearly fainted...

"I don't get it." Trunks uttered finally, with a sincerely confused expression on his face. Tank crossed her arms, still glaring at Trunks. "Was falling still not the right motivation?"

Gohan unconsciously back away when Tank clenched her fists. "How's _this_ for motivation?" Tank gathered a ball of energy in her palm and fired straight at Trunks who crossed his arms and blocked.

"You know that I'm sorry Tank." Trunks apologized, peeking over the smoke airing from his arms. "I didn't mean—

"Save it." Tank yelled, waving her arm to dismiss his comment as she marched back to the house.

Bulma saw Tank's angry face when Tank stomped into the cottage and went straight for the bathroom. She looked towards Chi-Chi who shrugged her shoulders, but then gave an all-knowing roll of the eyes. _You know it was probably Trunks' doing that upset her, but go and check on her,_ Chi-Chi motioned with a silent nudge of her head, sipping her tea.

The little girl didn't open the door. Trunks walked in with his head ducked in order to avoid his mother's suspicious gaze.

"What happened, Trunks Briefs?" Bulma demanded in a deeper tone than usual with her hand on the bathroom door knob.

Trunks' shoulders raised, but his back faced his mother so she couldn't see the sweating guilt on his forehead.

He quickly wiped his forehead. "Just fine, mom, wait...I mean..." He stumbled over his words and Bulma's brows narrowed.

Before Bulma could question her son again, the bathroom door opened. Tank slipped out and met eyes with Trunks for a full second then looked up to her mother. "Nothing mom, I scrapped my knee while Trunks and I were playing." Tank cupped her palm over her knee, covered by her long pants.

Bulma, with thin lips, read her daughter's and her son's expressions. Trunks could barely keep still. Meanwhile Tank stared back at her mother, unflinching. Not fully convinced, but Bulma let it go. "Well, alright then. You both know I want you two to be careful."

"Sure, mom. We know." The duo said in unison and filed outside.

Once out on the dirt pathway in front of the Son house porch, Trunks peeked over to his sister, seeing if whether or not her anger towards him had lifted yet. Her scowl returned once they were away from their mother's careful eye. She crossed her arms protectively and turned her chin away from Trunks.

Trunks sighed. His sister had saved him from his mother's wrath even though with how Tank ignored him, he figured she thought he had deserved it too. "Look—thanks for—

"Hey, you two," Gohan landed, balancing several tree trunks on his shoulder and the width of his arm. In swift motion, he chopped them in mid air and tossed them into a neat pile. He slapped the bark from his palms and inhaled a relaxed breath of air, satisfied with the amount of wood he had gathered.

Gohan glanced over to the other demi-saiyans. He noticed Tank's discomfort and marched forward. Trunks lifted his neck to smile at his friend while Tank's arms remained crossed, but her scowl had softened at the taller boy.

"Ready to fly again, Trunks?"

Trunks grinned and Tank could sense his energy soar from excitement.

Gohan nodded and turned to Tank. "And you, Tank? Willing to try again?"

Tank’s stomach churned at the thought of falling again.

Gohan tilted his head and set his palm on her shoulder. "Don't be put off from flying because of an accident Tank."

Tank didn't utter a response, not for the sake of ignoring Gohan, but for her inability to gather an adequate answer.

"I think I know something that might change your mind."

Tank peered up curiously.

Gohan turned and yelled at the sky. "KINTO-UN!"

A yellow dot appeared behind a wall of clouds and darted across the horizon. Then the dot arced its direction straight for Mt. Paozu, leaving a yellow tail to disperse in the sky. As the dot zoomed at lightning speed, the two kids soon made out the puffy cloud-shape of Kinto-Un.

Trunks' mouth fell agape as the cloud stopped perfectly in front of Gohan and hovered above the ground. Tank leaned to the side in order to fully view the cloud. The puffs of the cloud rotated and pulsed as if it were breathing.

"Whoa, what is that thing?" Trunks mumbled, perplexed.

Tank blinked. _I don't know._

"Hey, long time no see, huh, old friend?" Gohan greeted. The cloud pulsed as if to nod in agreement.

Gohan felt a nudge by his leg and saw Tank inching closer to the cloud. Her baby face was puckered in interest as she extended a finger to poke the cloud. Her fingertip touched the vapory substance of the cloud ever so slightly. Her fingertip felt wet and cold and with a squeal, she shyly hid behind Gohan.

Trunks circled Gohan and the cloud, cocking an eyebrow. "So...what is it?"

Gohan patted the boy's head and waved his hand to the cloud. "Kinto-Un, I'm giving you to these two."

This statement drew a gasp from Tank and Trunks.

"Yeah," Gohan said as he scratched the back of his head. "It's not fair for Kinto-Un for me to keep it now since I hardly travel or use it anymore. Kinto-Un, Tank and Trunks are both young and will be able to enjoy you a lot more."

"But...what do you do with it?"

Gohan picked Tank up to set her on the cloud. Tank cringed, expecting to fall, yet the cloud supported her. She patted the cloud's pillow-like texture. Logic told her that she should have fallen when Gohan released her, yet somehow a freakin' _cloud_ was solid enough to hold her weight.

She looked to her brother and saw his equally confused face. Then she remembered that she was ignoring him and fixed her attention on the cloud. "Kinto-Un, huh? What do you do with it?"

Gohan lowered his chin with focus. "Go ahead, Kinto-Un, show Tank what you can do."

Before Tank could brace herself, the cloud pivoted into the air. With a shocked yelp, Tank frantically hung onto puffs of the cloud, yet only ended up pulling handfuls of cloud. Kinto-Un spiraled down, causing dizziness to overtake Tank. Black spots scattered in her vision, her wild hair whipped around her neck and her heart was jumping in her chest. Everything was moving too quickly for Tank to take in. "STOP!" She shouted.

With accordance to her command, Kinto-Un paused in mid air while supporting Tank. The cloud endured all of the inertia while Tank remained steady in its center.

The sun was still peeking over the horizon, yet nearly half the sky had darkened to a deep blue. Glimmers of stars were twinkling in the Eastern sky. Tank fixed her hair and looked down at the cloud underneath her. "Kinto-Un.... Let's fly again, but go a little slower this time."

The cloud floated forward without hesitance. Tank ducked, waiting for the cloud to soar again, yet as her confidence grew, she slowly straightened. "Wooooow." She softly laughed as the cloud spiraled.

Trunks watched in wonder as the cloud zipped across the sky, carrying his sister. Even from the ground, he could see her smile.

Satisfied that Tank was enjoying Kinto-Un, Gohan turned back to Trunks. "Ready to catch up with Babyface, Trunks?"

"You bet."

* * *

 

Tank dozed in and out of sleep as the their plane flew in the dark towards West Capitol. Staring out the window, she could make out traces of thick forest, mountains, lakes, then a patch of sand, then navy blue ocean.

Her reflection in the glass window was joined by Trunks quietly moving to the seat next to her. "Listen...Tank, you know I didn't mean—

The boy sighed when his sister didn't move from the window.

_At least she doesn't seem angry._ "You're not...still mad at me, are you?"

Tank adjusted her seat, still watching the scenery and her reflection.  
  
Tank wasn't yelling at him, which meant that he could bargain with her. "Hey, tell you what, when mom makes us pancakes again—

"You'll give me your first pancake?!" Tank squealed brightly, acknowledging his reflection.

Minor success so far, at least she was speaking to him. But there was no way he was going to give up his whole pancake. "No deal. I'll give you the first bite."

"No deal! _You_ almost killed us!" Tank twisted around, her hair whipping behind her. "Give me your serving of the chocolate."

"Nuh uh, no deal! There's no way." Trunks refused, unrelenting, his chin level with hers.

"Then give me your half of the lemon and sugar." Tank demanded.

With that, Trunks happily conceded. "Deal." _Good, I don't even like lemon_.  
_  
_ Tank settled into her seat, satisfied. Trunks also pressed his back comfortably into his chair, also satisfied.

When they arrived at their home in West Capitol, Bulma lowered the shuttle doors, seeing Trunks and Tank sprint off to go run in the yard. Bulma, right before she pressed the plane's capsulize-switch, saw Tank's bare knees as the young girl rolled up the hem of her pant legs to catch up with her brother.

Even in the darkness, Bulma could see that her daughter's knees were clean. Not a single cut or bruise.

The plane disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving only a tiny capsule. Bulma smiled then replaced the capsule into her pocket container.


	3. Android #22

The Third & The History of Tank

Chapter 3  
  


* * *

 

The Third: Chapter 2

May 12th, 767 Timeline #1

"What do you _mean_ something else?" Trunks demanded, prying Bulma from Tank's arms.

Too absorbed in her thoughts, Tank didn't notice. The ground quaked again as a ring of buildings caved in from a mushroom cloud.

"It's all the way on the other side of the town by the mountains, half the town will be annihilated before we can stop them." Krillin shouted over the noise.

"We can't just stand here!" Gohan grunted.

Tank tenderly patted Bulma's shoulder then blankly spoke to Trunks. "Take Bulma back to her plane or better yet, fly her home."

Trunks' hands curled into tight fists. "Wait a minute! You know what's attacking that city?! You still haven't explained how you know the androids!"

Tank turned shut her eyes to concentrate on the city's edge. "I already told you, it's not Androids 17 and 18 you should be worried about at the moment." She found a focal point and shrugged her shoulders to relax her muscles. "Take Bulma home, I'll handle this myself."

Krillin recognized how she placed two fingers to her foreheadand in the time it took him to react by leaping forward, she disappeared. "No! Wai—agh!" His heels dug into the grass where Tank previously stood.

"Huh? Where did she go?" Bulma shaded her eyes from the sun as she peered into the sky, believing Tank had flown.

The three warriors shifted their sights to the southern edge of city.

Gohan's brows furrowed. "Was that…my dad's technique?"

"I think so, Gohan." Krillin muttered.

"Mother, fly home now." Trunks ordered.  


* * *

 

The instigator of the chaos lifted his arm and from each of his fingers a beam of yellow energy fired in all directions. He noticed one of his blasts divert upon impact and spun around.

He saw a young woman with an arm outstretched, hand warm from the blast. Her scowl was a familiar one. He tucked a stray strand of red hair to his ear and then crossed his arms. "Still alive…what? No blonde hair today?"

Tank growled, facing the redheaded android. Her eyes averted to the conscious red RR on his dark green and black uniform and anger ignited like fire. Taught by instinct she peered over her shoulders and below. In her haste to stop him, she forgot to think of the other two androids. Besides the smoke, rubble and panicked populace, her instincts swore that they were alone.

"I wondered how long it would be until you miscreant joined this time." He crossed his arms and sneered. "I was getting bored."

"How long have you been here, 22?" Tank snarled.

The android held a finger to his lips and sniggered. "That I will keep a secret. But if you're asking if I have shifted the flow of this timeline, the answer is no. That is, until now." He gazed down over the wreckage of the city.

She pictured the giant cicada-shaped skin and shouted, "Stop interfering!"

"Or else? You'll kill me?" Android 22 snickered. "If we're negotiating, I'll propose this: you return to your timeline and I _might_ let you live if I ever think of returning."

"So you can destroy this time too? I won't have it!" Tank viciously shook her head.

"Don't forget it is not only your life you're bargaining for. If I recall there _is_ someone you care about that you left behind in our time." He bare his teeth with delight.

Tank's chest felt cold as she thought of her mother's face. "You're bluffing. Time travel will take too much of your energy and too much time. By the time you arrive in the future, I would have destroyed the androids here." She exhaled to soothe her anger and clear her mind. Then she smirked. "You should take my threat seriously—I've already made right on it three times."

She saw his teeth grit. That delighted her and it implored her to throw salt on the wound.

"Your efforts are wasted today. The androids aren't anywhere nearby. I would suggest that instead of blowing up towns that you locate Androids 17 and 18. But you _can't_ find them, can you?"

Android 22's lips twitched again but he dismissed her remarks and uncrossed his arms. "17 and 18 appear a little shy in this time. I _have_ taken for granted their typical trail of devastation. It never thought that they could be so difficult to find." His icy blue eyes narrowed on Tank and his hands curled into fists.

Tank locked her elbows by her side, preparing to attack and dodge.  
  
Something wasn't right. "Why? Why now?"

The android smirked; the cruel smirk that haunted Tank’s nightmares. "I had to get somebody's attention. If I can't locate my fellow androids, I'll do the next best thing. Wiping out cities always drew you, Gohan and Trunks out of hiding."

Tank's knuckles popped from squeezing her fingers into her palms.

Android 22 subtly leaned forward, his arms locking at his side. His hair that blew softly in the wind didn't even flutter back to his cheek before he sprung forward like a bullet.

Tank dropped her defenses from brief shock, realizing that Android 22 had been powering up the entire time. As quick as she believed herself to be, Tank wasn't prepared for the impact of his elbow to her abdomen. Shocked by the pain, she was open to another hit on her back which propelled her downward headfirst.

Gathering her senses, she stopped her descent, causing a backfire of smoke and dust from the ground. Not even warmed up, every muscle and bone braced for impact and exertion. Her adrenaline kicked in, awakening her instincts enough to ready her fists and charge after Android 22.

Zipping across the sky in a speed faster than the android, Tank pummeled his face and torso before he managed to block.

After one particularly painful hit to the nose, Android 22 flipped back in the air to gather distance. 22's human instincts warned him to tend to his bleeding nose. One sweeping motion of the back of his hand showed no blood. His programming intervened, silencing the feeling.

Android 22 circled his hands and fired a medium powered beam towards the demi-saiyan.

Tank flicked the beam to the sky, away from the city below. From the moment of distraction, Tank only half dodged the bone-crushing kick to her waist. She used the momentum to circle in the direction of the kick to hit Android 22 again.

Groaning from the shock, Android 22 undercut her jaw then flipped fifty feet away. The gears within him turned gathering and focusing a significant amount of energy. The android used two precious seconds to tame a sphere of energy twice his size. He howled as he fired down towards the town, away from Tank's direction.

Tank flew after the ball of energy and tucked against it. She pressed against it with her hands, slowing the energy down but not enough to gradually be pushed down towards the town.

She calculated. At her current power level, the town below would be obliterated if she dodged. She could push back and send it after Android 22 but that required more power…

Tank delved deep into her inner stores of power and a switch flicked on. Tremendous energy flowed and charging the power of god in every inch of her body. She howled and with new ease tossed the large energy mass towards Android 22 like a paper ball.

With difficulty, Android 22 sidestepped the energy, singeing off a few stray strands of hair.

With annoyance he peered back and saw the figure encompassed by a gold aura. "Oh lookie, blondie has returned."  
  
Tank stared at him unblinkingly with teal eyes. Her dark locks of hair stood away on end from her face in a bright platinum shade. Electric sparks popped in air near Tank's fast-flowing gold aura.

Android 22 hovered closer to admire, forever marveled by the beautiful transformation. "My siblings and I could never figure out how you miscreants transform. Battling you, Gohan and Trunks over the years, I observed you saiyans and your fascinating ability to grow stronger. Dr. Gero's plan with my two siblings was flawed in their fixed powers. They could never get stronger—unlike me."

Tank's energy senses told of three fast approaching energies—Krillin, Gohan and Trunks.

Android 22 halted his power-up to see the three clear auras that hovered near Tank.

The three fighters stared in awe at Tank's transformation then to the unfamiliar android in the distance.

Krillin yelped with beads of sweat shining his forehead. "You're kidding me? _Another_ one?! At this rate, we'll have more androids than I can count."

Android 22 narrowed his attention on Krillin. There were only supposed to be three androids. Was the bald man dense or…

Gohan and Trunks peered back to Tank and the latter couldn't help but remember her earlier comment of "I'm human." Only human? He had wondered and now gazing at her super saiyan features now, if she was definitely human, she was at least half saiyan too.

"Ah…Krillin and young Gohan, I killed you both in my time. Unfortunately, I cannot take credit for Trunks."

Goading the four, Android 22 calculated. Blondie I can handle but four on one, especially when I don't know how powerful Gohan and Trunks are, would be too risky. Even for me.

As if watching in slow motion, Tank recognized how Android 22 folded his arms over his chest and bent his knees. The tail of his tied hair, as if manipulated by static electric spread like a paper-fan. In between blinking, watching Android 22 and spotting the others lunging forward to attack, her vision rippled. When she blinked again, her vision was clear again, but she lost Android 22.

Three fists hit an after image. The fighters near bumped into each other before realizing their target had disappeared. They spun around, ardently searching for the redheaded android.

The lavender haired teenager felt cold sweat on his brow. He had never seen an android move so fast— He looked to Tank who had dropped her defenses and felt his blood boil. "Why aren't you looking?! He couldn't have gone far!"

"Trust me in that you won't find him. He's gone." She said curtly. She regressed to her base power level, her dark hair hitting the nape of her neck.

"I don't get it. Why not attack us?" Krillin griped.

"He has already killed you before. What interest should he have in killing you again?"  
  
Krillin let out a shaky yelp, caught off guard. _Did she have to be so harsh…?_

"He mentioned his time so is what how you know him, Tank?" Gohan considered.

"Yes, he is part of the trio that pulverized Earth in my time."

"Is he strong?"

"The fact that he is still alive certainly validates that."

Trunks gazing down at the demolished city, he reached the end of his patience with Tank. He’d demand some answers from her now. Since she showed up, three mysterious things had happened: the mossy time machine, the giant cicada shell and another android.

The female saiyan stretched her ki senses further then turned back to the lavender haired teenager with a twitch. "Trunks, didn't I tell you to make sure Bulma got away?"

The abrupt mention of Bulma distracted his train of thought. "What do you mean? I saw her decapsulize her jet—"

"Then _why_ do I still sense that she's still where you left her?" Tank scolded. She huffed and set two fingers to her forehead to concentrate on the small energy.

"Hold it!" Krillin cried. "At least take us with you this time."

Tank waited until Krillin touched her left arm and Gohan held the other. Trunks set a hand down on Gohan's shoulder. Krillin glimpsed at Tank's features again and couldn't help but think that it was the second time that way that he was standing near her. He blushed as they disappeared from the crumbling town.  


* * *

 

"Mother! Why did you stay after I told you to leave?!"

Just as Tank had said, Bulma had been strolling aimlessly between her jet and battered time machine. "Well excuuuuuse me?! I was _gonna_ leave but I couldn't lift the shell-thing all by myself _and_ you guys left your time machines out in the open! So, I waited! Because one of us had to have a decent head on their shoulders!" Bulma huffed, crossing her arms, squeezing the time machine capsules in her hand.

Trunks cowered from Bulma's scalding reply.

Gohan slumped and sighed with disbelief. "Oh man. Now we've got that guy."

"This day can't get any worse." Krillin grumbled. "That makes four androids."

Tank recalled how her computer noticed an unidentifiable android riding with 17 and 18, which counted three androids. With Android 22, that was four. She swallowed for her dry throat. "Actually that brings us up to five."

"His name is Cell and he's an android." Tank began. She turned away, unable to stand, yet again, their surprise and fear. "Unlike the other autotrophic partially artificial cyborgs, Cell is wholly heterotrophic biomechanical organism—"

Krillin timidly held up his hand before interrupting. "Sorry to cut in…but do you mind explaining it more _in English_ …"

Bulma rolled her eyes thinking, sheesh, don't they know _anything_?

Tank hiked a brow but obliged. "He doesn't look like Androids 17 and 18. And he needs to consume life forms for energy."

"You still haven't explained a thing about yourself. How do you know about them?" Trunks insisted.

"Because they killed Piccolo, Vegeta, Tien, Chiaotzu, Yamcha, Krillin, and Gohan in my time."

Gohan flinched when Tank uttered his name but remained silent. Android 22 said that he had killed the Gohan of his time.

"Twelve months after Goku died of a new heart virus, three beings appeared nine miles South of South city. One by one, Earth's defenses were obliterated." Tank reached into her jacket pocket and showed a protective container. Releasing the lock, she removed a hand-held device. " _This_ is the remote we used to deactivate the androids in the past and future."

Confused with deja vu, staring at the ground was all Trunks could do to restrain from demanding more answers from Tank. Why wasn't it _six_ months after Goku died in her time? What made hers and his time different yet so similar? Slowly, he peered up and stared with avid interest at the mechanical device.

All other eyes widened at the remote in her hand, Trunks looked ready to leap for it. "Don't bother. I've already found the androids in this time and the remote was useless against them. If I build another, it will probably be from scratch."

"Did you come here to warn us about this new threat and Android 22?" Krillin exclaimed, shakily.

Tank shook her head. "Not really, as you can see," she gestured to the slimy skin. "A warning won't do much good at this point. Ideally, I wouldn't be here chatting with you. With Cell it’s only a matter of time. Had I been quick enough, I wouldn't have needed to confront you all."

"What do you mean?" Gohan added.

"I hoped to destroy Cell in his larvae form like a sitting duck. But the one time I locate the machine, he manages to surpass my initial calculations and reach his humanoid-form faster than before."

"What do you mean _this one time_?" Trunks exasperated, but immediately understood. "How many time periods have you been to?"

Tank momentarily shut her eyes as if to count then she held out four fingers. "Four: My home timeline and one where we ventured to warn Goku. The third and fourth one, now."

"For the last two years, I've been hunting Cell down. I've stopped him so far but I could never trap him in any time period as long as he had my machine. With the machine in tattered condition and the battery nearly dead, Cell won't be going anywhere. But now he's in his humanoid-form and with the androids currently activated…. I thought finding the time machine would relieve me." Tank bit her lip, her brows furrowed. "If Cell hadn't severely damaged my machine in the previous timeline, I would have beat him here."

"But what does he have to do with the androids? And what about Android 22? If you claim to know about the androids as well as I do, then you know they are monsters that nobody can defeat." Trunks shouted.

A smirk twitched across Tank's lips—it was like looking into a mirror of herself in the past. "I’ve destroyed the androids before. In the last timeline, Cell's power equaled that of an individual android. That probably explains why he was able to evolve back into his humanoid form in just one year while before it took him two—

"You didn't answer me. What does this Cell have to do with Androids 17 and 18?!" Trunks' fists clenched tightly at his sides.

Tank inhaled a deep breath to halt her incitement from his impatience.

Trunks didn't believe that she understood the magnitude of the power of the androids, but she mutually conceived that Trunks wasn't listening to her about Cell.

She decided to explain slower, as she had also been in disbelief when she discovered another monster stronger than the androids that petrified her world. "Gero designed Cell to be biologically compatible with the androids. In order to achieve his most powerful form, Cell must absorb Androids 17 and 18. With his tail, he sucks in flesh until nothing but clothing remains."

Tank gagged as if a bad taste coated her mouth. Their faces contorted from their imagining of the monster Cell.

"And…what about this Android 22? He mentioned that he’s from another time." Krillin purposely left out how the android gleefully reminisced about his death. Does he have a time machine too?" Krillin asked.

Tank shook her head. "No. He doesn't need a time machine. Gero designed Android 22 to manipulate time."

"Impossible!" Trunks cried while the others gasped.

"You mean—was that how he escaped without a trace?" Krillin pondered.

Tank nodded. _Well done, Krillin. Not so thick after all._

"Sounds bleak for us." Krillin grimaced, his face pale.

"What does 22 have to do with this Cell?" Gohan asked.

"He doesn't know Cell. And Cell has never mentioned Android 22."  
  
"What makes him so strong that he can survive several timelines?" Gohan pondered. "Could he have been deactivated with that remote like the other androids?"

"Other than the fact that he can freeze time when he starts losing?" Krillin groaned.

"Wait—time travel requires intense energy. Even with unlimited power generators, gathering energy for back-to-back leaps in time _should_ take a lot of time. In other words, he can't use time manipulation too often." Trunks said.

Tank nodded, grateful that _this_ Trunks didn’t seem dense. "The reason he has survived this long is because he falls off the radar more often than not. _Today is not a good example_ but destruction is not his style. In the past, he mostly sat while the other androids played. Whenever me and the others would get the upper hand, he'd turn into a soldier, protect them."

" _Protect_ them? From us? From Cell? For what?" Krillin asked.

Tank tipped her head down. "I-I don't know."

Everyone but Bulma stared point blank at the dirt, digesting Tank's words, unsure if to believe them.

She had seen twice before how such alarming news from a stranger "from the future" couldn't sink through the visual sighting of the androids. Trunks had done such a good job of warning the Z fighters to prepare for the androids that they were unable to comprehend the idea of yet two other threats, especially one that could be more powerful than the androids they all had spent three years training for.

"Where is Son Goku right now?" Tank asked, needing one of her own questions answered.  
  
"My dad is resting at Master Roshi's house."

"So he did survive the virus..." Tank muttered, her words completely overpowered by Bulma's question.

"Why at Kame's house?"

"The androids want to find my dad, but his heart is still recovering. We thought the androids would find him at our home, so we hid him at Kame house." Gohan uttered reluctantly.

It still surprised Tank that the androids drove a van instead of flying, but that worked to their advantage according to Gohan's statement. "If the androids are busy searching for Goku, that means we have time."

She turned to the rest of the group and showed a tiny smile. "Should we go to Kame house?"

Gohan chuckled while Krillin nodded his head in approval. "Let's go."

Bulma rubbed her neck. "Well, I guess I'll go take that egg shell-thing back to the lab to test its age." The mother’s lip quivered with disgust. "And maybe that too so I can see if there's anything we can figure out from that... _thing_." She continued, "One thing I don't understand is why you all didn't destroy the androids when you saw them earlier?"

Trunks fought back an impatient snort. "Don't be silly mother. Father, Piccolo, Tien attacked them but to no avail. Not even a scratch."

Tank cocked an eyebrow.

"Oh, is Vegeta alright?" Bulma asked.

"He was alright after he was given a senzu bean. He has no will to work with us." Trunks said with visible disappointment.

"But are all of them alive? Piccolo and Tien?" Tank asked.

Krillin narrowed on Tank, surprised by her wording 'alive' but answered her. "Everyone survived, but they weren't interested in annihilating us."

"Get out of here! Three years worth of training and not one of you could fight them?!" Bulma exasperated.

Trunks stared blankly the ground. "They're much stronger in this time than in my time."

Tank sighed; her suspicions confirmed. "That might be my fault. With each time I visit, I notice changes with the androids. Differences in design, power, personality, unfortunately more and more against our favor. That might explain why this remote is useless against them."

They all flew back to the time machines, with Bulma carried by Gohan.

With assistance from Gohan, Bulma carried the skin and egg-shell into her plane, tiptoeing around the skin as if expecting it to come alive. Trunks capsulized both machines, placing his one with the rest of his capsules. He hesitated before setting the foreign machine with his capsules. With an open hand, he held out his arm for Tank to take it.

"Thank you, Trunks." Tank mumbled, taking the capsule from his hand and set it next to her time machine. She smoothed her finger over the stopper, still familiar to the touch.

Bulma watched this exchange with pride. "Man, I must be a real genius if I could create a time machine." She turned to leave, "oh, and Trunks, if you ever have time, feel free to drop by. I'm sure Grandma and Grandpa will be thrilled." As she passed by Tank's line of vision, she gave the slightest of winks to the girl.

Tank hadn't known if anyone else saw Bulma's gesture, but she didn't call any attention to it.

Bulma's plane hovered from the ground, sending a powerful rush of air around them. Trunks watched attentively until his mother's plane was a safe distance, heading South-West for West Capitol.

Krillin tested. "I trust you know where Kame house is?"

Tank smirked and focused her energy for flight. “I could find that place blindfolded.”

* * *

 

"We're here, sorry to bother you Master Roshi," Gohan announced modestly as the four of them stepped into Kame house, Tank being the last one inside.

Their expressions tightened due to the nervous atmosphere that hung amongst the members of the house. The Kame house was _silent,_ save for the television. No arguing, no laughter, just strong focus on the news broadcast. Chi-Chi, her face whiter than snow, appeared as if she were about to faint, held the phone to Yamcha's ear. The man in the orange gi stared with cold sweats at the television.

"Yes, Bulma, they just returned, she said—huh?" Yamcha said as he turned to the door, just now realizing there was a serious-looking stranger who stood with Gohan, Krillin, and Trunks.

"Who is that? Do any of you know what this means?" Master Roshi, sitting on his couch, leaning towards the television, mumbled without removing his focus.

Tank heard a round of gunfire blasting from the television's speaker than the crinkle of static as the picture flickered.

"CHANGE THE CHANNEL!" Yamcha yelled, startling Krillin to rush to the television's dial to find another news channel.

"His screaming...it stopped." Yamcha stammered with alarm.

Gohan, Krillin, and Trunks who found themselves surrounded around the television, peered nervously to each other then finally, in unison to the door, to Tank.

"That's directly south of where we found that skin." Trunks stated.

The silence that replaced the frightened chatter increased Tank's anxiety. She strode forward, the tension unfazed at how loud her boots clicked against the hardwood floor. The camera shot was showing the vertical as the horizon, as if the camera had been tossed, but along the ground, there was a single garment. "I have zero doubt that it's him."

She ground her teeth, not caring about the shooting pains in her jaw. Cell's power seemed to soar exponentially with each new time period. Cell never began his hunt so soon. Tank concentrated and placing two fingers to her forehead. "I'm leaving."

"Wait? Stop!" Gohan gasped.

"Don't try and stop me."

"Wait—Tank! I'm going with you." Trunks said.

Tank groaned. She couldn’t run the risk of getting him killed. "You'll get in the way!" Tank glared, but her mouth fell agape when a strong presence of energy spiked everyone's attention. Krillin, Gohan, and Yamcha sprinted outside, sharing matching expressions of fear and dread towards the West, where the auspicious energy could be felt.

"What's this energy that I'm feeling?!" Krillin yelled, shaking with worry.

"I feel Frieza, King Cold, and _my dad!_ " Gohan stammered. Suddenly he flew to the side of Kame house to inspect the bedroom window.

"I sense Piccolo, Tien, and my father." Trunks muttered. "This can't be..."

"Impossible!" Yamcha quivered. "Frieza's dead! Dead I say! And his father is dead too! I saw it with my own eyes!"

"And my father's still sleeping in the house!" Gohan pointed, hovering in the air.

Tank glared at the flowing ocean water at her boots, hiding her surprise at Cell's jump in strength since the last time she had faced him.

Tank understood their dread, but they wasted precious time. "I must leave now." She froze when she felt an unfamiliar and strong power level, unsure of what to make of it. _Who could that possibly be? And why haven't I sensed them before?_ "Trunks—" Her call managed to pull Trunks from his trance. "Are you still coming? I might need your help."

Her admittance caused Trunks to focus and he replied with a soft nod.

"I thought all we had to worry about were those androids you warned us about!" Yamcha exclaimed, unable to contain his fear. "And you, young girl, you shouldn't be involved in this! These monsters that you're able to chase after are very powerful!"

Tank glared at Yamcha and unconsciously the muscles tightened in her arm. _Why I oughta..._ "Don't start with me, Yamcha." She snapped.

Yamcha stepped back, more thrown off by the unknown girl knowing his name than by her tone or words.

Chi-Chi had stumbled outside with Master Roshi. The sun glared pointedly on the turtle hermit's sunglasses. "This energy that I'm feeling doesn't belong to the androids, Yamcha. It would appear as if we have yet another problem on our hands."

"I'm going too!" Gohan powered up, but was thrown off by his mother's shriek.

"Never! Gohan! I absolutely forbid it!" Dramatically, the mother began to weep, her knees gave in and she flopped to the ground. Gohan rushed to console his mother.

"Mom, mom. It's alright..."

"You stay here with your mother, father, Master Roshi, and Yamcha." Krillin said, but with certain reluctance already regretting his actions. "I'm going too. I need to see this for myself."

"Bye Auntie Chi-Chi." Tank waved, which caused the crying mother to look up.

Before Chi-Chi could confirm or deny what she heard, Tank, Trunks, and Krillin disappeared, dematerializing into tiny specks like stars in the bright blue horizon.

Yamcha huffed, crossing his arms, slightly relieved with fewer people on the island. "How did she know my name?"

"Beats me," Chi-Chi mumbled against her son's embrace. "She did look a little familiar though..."

Yamcha shook his head, decidedly, shrugging Chi-Chi's observation. "No way, I've never seen _her_ before."  
  


* * *

 

Tank’s words of farewell to Chi-chi barely left her tongue when the blinding light faded and left the crystal blue sky, the trio continued arrived in the center of Sherry Town. Tank panned her neck, as they flew over destruction from the battle. Suddenly two beings stood amongst the rumble, one with a distinctive stinger tail. The trio stopped to stare upon the monster.

Tank gritted her teeth with uncontainable disgust then forcibly cleared her mind to prepare for battle. As she lowered beside Piccolo, willing her muscles to prepare. Even from the distance, Tank could make out Cell's face of surprise at Trunks then as he saw her, and hatefully narrowed his red-eyed glare on her. Cell let out a low, vicious growl and positioned his stinger tail like a dagger pointed right at Tank.

The female saiyan glowered at the monster, feeling something to the degree of fire boiling in her blood.

His slitted eyes fixed on her violet set with abhorrence. The android struggled with containing his urge to race forward and snap her neck like a twig. He licked his lips at the thought. _She has caused me far too much inconvenience. I should have been complete years ago. I should have destroyed her with the time machine,_ Tank was deaf to the confused rambling surrounding her, attempting to control her anger before she acted recklessly.

Piccolo twitched as he laid his sight on the young stranger. "Who the hell is this supposed to be? How did the three of you just appear?"

Krillin and Trunks landed next to them, slightly recognizing the form of the monster from the shed skin. Yet they were unable to turn away from the mottled, tall, bug-like humanoid. Wings shadowed the creature's back with a needle-ended tail wagging from behind.

"Don't worry about her for now, Piccolo. Just know that she's on our side." Krillin affirmed the Namekian.

Before Piccolo could respond, the monster slammed his tail into the rubble angrily and hissed to them.

"Why, hello Tank."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think. The hardest thing about this chapter was trying not to seem like I wrote straight from the manga or anime... I know I gave a lot of information in this chapter so if I'm progressing too fast, please let me know!  
> More timelines...  
> 1) Main time  
> 2) Future Trunks (unseen)  
> 3) Tank & Cell  
> 4) When Tank ventured into the past to warn Goku  
> 5) After Cell stole the machine, Tank followed him to this timeline.  
> Again, I hope that isn't confusing... Anyway, con-crit is more than welcome


End file.
